Bad Ronald (1974)

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I remember years ago as a kid in the 80's one Saturday afternoon on "TBS" watching this old 70's TV movie "Bad Ronald", and I remembered how chilling and creepy it was and it's still effective as I just watched the film again on DVD after many years. It paints a pretty picture of what it's like to be different and alone while having crazy, creep like perverted feelings.Set in California a young boy named Ronald(well done by Scott Jacoby)who's strange and different yet bright lives at home with mom and she has hopes of him one day becoming a doctor. Ronald tries to fit in and date a local girl yet she or none of the other teens want him as a friend, Ronald feels pain. So on the way home Ronald commits a very bad thing upon a girl who teases him, after revealing this to mom she hides him away behind a wall room of the house as Ronald becomes sheltered from the people and the police can't find him! Ronald likes being with his food, and loves to nibble on chocolate bars and passes time away by doing drawings of ancient figures and he believes in a world of another dimension of good and evil that involves strange people of a prince and princesses. Then after Ronald's mom has surgery his life takes a spin mom didn't make it and then the house is put on the market! Now enter the Woods family who move in and they are unaware about the other guest like Ronald who's got more crazy and even more creep like. The Woods family consist of a mother and father and three teenage daughters(some of the cast include Dabney Coleman, Pippa Scott, Kim Hunter, Lisa Eilbacher and Ted Ecclesas as Duane Matthews one of the girls boyfriends). And Ronald starts to sneak out and many scenes are chilling he's just like a peeping tom as he notices the young girls! It's a shock as the Woods family is unsuspecting Ronald brings his terror in the form of chasing the girls and even ties up and gags Duane who he sees as a threat. Overall great suspense horror film that stills chills by showing a different side of life always be careful as you don't know who or what is lurking around behind the shadows and corners of a hidden wall!

Scott Jacoby portrays Ronald Wilby, a shy and awkward young man who accidentally kills a schoolmate who was mocking him. Ronald panics, and goes home to his overprotective mother, who decides to hide him in a secret room in the house, rather than tell the police. Unfortunately, the mother is soon taken to the hospital for an operation, and never returns...so Ronald stays in the furnished room/house until a new family moves in, knowing nothing of Ronald's presence, only that he went missing...Good acting by Jacoby, and sensitive script give him a sympathetic portrayal of how he is lost in a fantasy world of his own creation, and how he tries to cope with the teenage daughters, whom he views as needing saving. The only drawback to the story is that it's too thin, with a short running time that barely covers the basic story possibilities before it is all over, in a much too quick fashion. Pity, since with more time and care, this could have been much better, but is still worth watching, available on DVD from Warner Archive.

I can't believe that this movie hasn't reached a "cult" status or even a wider fan database. The movie has an unique creepiness given by it's "made for t.v." label. The plot is more dramatic than scary but works perfect for a Horror movie (like Black Christmas or When A Stranger Calls) but very toned down.**SPOILERS** In the likes of "Psycho", Ronald finds in his mother trust, friendship, and love. Unlike Norman Bates, Ronald is a wimp and seems totally unable to cause damage. It all starts with Ronald and his mother celebrating his birthday. Mother makes him his favorite food and spend together a good time. The scene is sad for me because it displays a sad boy whose only friend is his sick mother (it's shown in a scene that she takes too many pills). That day, Ronald seems "happy" and self-confident on himself so he decides to ask out the hottest girl from school. He goes to her snobby house and asks her out but she rejects him in a rather mocking way. She was swimming in her pool with some friends. Sad Ronald, on his way home pushes by accident a mean girl from school who was riding on her bike. Ronald tries to help her getting up but she refuses and starts insulting him. Ronald ignores her but she goes too far by calling he and his mother "freaks". He tells her to apologize but she refuses; both struggle and ends with the blonde girl falling to the ground and hitting her head with a rock (very fake scene). Scene cuts to Ronald telling his mother that he killed and buried a girl. After several thoughts, Mother comes with the idea that he should hide from society while things "cool" a little. You know the rest. Ronald and his mom build a wall over the bathroom door and create a secret room. Ronald has plenty of space there so there's no problem. The way to access the room is from a secret door from the furniture room. Police comes to Ronald's home and discover his jacket with blood and a letter that Ronald himself wrote. The letter said that he apologizes to his mother because he did "something terrible". Brilliant Ronald didn't think about the consequences of his letter. Things seemed to be working on wheels until mother needs urgent surgery and leaves town. She says that it would only take a week for her to return. The week passes and mother didn't return. Ronald suspects because the phone rang once but it wasn't clear if it was mother who called. Anyways, soon before her death; mother sold the house "as quick as possible" in order for them to leave town. As Ronald learns that his mother died, new owners settled in the house. A couple and their three hot (I mean HOT) daughters are the new owners. Crazy Ronald seems to be very busy working on his "fantasy" world called Atranta where he's the prince looking for his princess Fandetta or something like that. Ronald seems to be losing his mind and now looks more like he's a psycho. Soon after the new people arrive, they notice that food among other things (like a personal diary) disappear. The girls say that they feel a negative vibe in the house and that strange noises happen in the night. Things start to get ugly when Mrs. Schumacher (the nosy neighbor) dies of a heart attack and hits her head with the ground after seeing Ronald sneaking in the kitchen. Ronald buries her. Then, he goes nuts and kidnaps the hot Babs (who wears through the movie hot mini skirts, thank you Babs). Then, he kidnaps Duane (the brother of the girl he killed time ago). What will happen to Ronald? Who will stop Ronald and how? "Bad Ronald" is a dramatic movie with Horror tones. It's more of a dramatic story with some creepy scenes and scary ideas. The plot is very interesting and either makes you either hate or love the main character. The movie is creepy mainly because of it's "direct for t.v." status but it's not scary by any means. Check out the "eye" in the wall scene. Now, that's a scary scene. I like the movie very much because it shows you that Ronald behaves like that because of his mother and society. He's sort of a socially abused teen.

I remember watching this movie when I was probably 13 years old. It came on late Friday or Saturday night, probably in a series called "Up All Night". If I remember correctly that was on the USA network. I remember that this movie, scared the crap out of me. The one scene where his neighbor is peeking in the window, still haunts me because I can still see her face. I wish they would release it to DVD. It gives me the creeps, but I will watch it again. If anyone knows where I can find it on DVD please let me know. It has been 18 years and I still think about it every now and then. It probably helped contribute to my insomnia when I was a kid. HA HA.